SR-71A BLACKBIRD MODEL

The SR-71 was designed by a team of Lockheed personnel known as the ""Skunk Works.""

In the late 1950s, the SR-71s basic design originated in secrecy, with the aircrafts designation as A-11. Its existence was publicly announced on February 29, 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, the time when he announced that an A-11 had flown at sustained speeds of over 2,000 miles per hour during tests at Edwards AFB, California. Its A-11 design development as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft began on February 1963. The first SR-71A arrives at Kadena AB to replace. The SR-71As maiden flight (in ""Big Tail"" configuration) was on December 3, 1975.

There were two SR-71s at Dryden with the assigned NASA tail numbers, NASA 844 (A model) with military serial 64-17980, NASA 831 (B model) with military serial 64-17956, which was manufactured in September 1965. There was another A model, the NASA 832 with military serial 64-17971 and was manufactured in October 1966. The A model was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated in 1995 for reconnaissance purposes. The SR-71A has a crew capacity of two. It has a maximum speed of Mach 3.2+ and a combat range of 2,900 nmi.

There were 32 SR-71s built, with 29 as SR-71As for operational missions. SR-71 remained the worlds fastest and highest-flying production aircraft throughout its operational existence.